CHAPTER
2a: THE
YOGA OF ANALYTIC KNOWLEDGE
On
the knowledge of the soul (2.1-2.38)
(1)
Sañjaya said: "Unto him [Arjuna], who was
thus overwhelmed by compassion, having his eyes full of
tears and lamenting, Madhusûdana [Krishna as
the killer of Madhu] spoke the following words:
(2)
The Supreme Lord said: 'Wherefrom came this impurity of
lamentation at this hour of crisis? This practice of the
uncivilized that does not lead to a better world, is the
cause of infamy, o Arjuna.
(3) Do not take
to this impotence, o son of Prithâ, this pettiness
and weakness of the heart does not befit you- give it up
and stand up, o chastiser of the enemy!'
(4)
Arjuna said: 'How can I counterattack Bhîshma and
Drona with arrows in the fight, o Madhusûdana -
they are worthy of worship, o killer of the enemies!
(5)
Even begging in this life on the planet is certainly
better than to kill those superior great souls, even
though those teachers desire worldly gain - surely our
enjoying the pleasures of life will be tainted with
blood! (6)
Nor do we know which would be better for us: that we may
conquer them or they may conquer us - certainly of those
who do so by killing we would never want to live, all of
us as we are positioned in front of the sons of
Dritharâshthra. (7)
Being afflicted by the characteristics of miserliness and
weakness, I ask You, confused in the heart about my duty,
what would be all-good - please tell me that in
confidence; instruct me as I am surrendered toYou as Your
disciple. (8)
I do not clearly see what would dispel the sadness drying
up my senses in achieving [this way the]
unrivaled prosperity of a kingdom on earth or even the
supremacy of the godly.'
(9)
Sañjaya said: "Thus addressing Hrisîkes'a,
Gudâkes'a [Arjuna as the master of curbing
ignorance], the chastiser of the enemies said: ' I
shall not fight'. After saying this to Govinda he then
fell silent. (10)
O descendant of Bharata, there between the armies of both
parties Hrisîkes'a spoke smiling to the lamenting
one the following words.
(11)
The Supreme Lord said: 'You are lamenting about what is
not worth the lamenting and you speak learned words as
well - whether lives are lost or not, the wise never
lament. (12)
I never really did not exist whenever, nor did you; you
nor any of all these kings - never shall also surely all
of us not exist hereafter. (13)
Of being embodied one knows the physical of boyhood,
youth and old age - similarly does attaining to the
beyond of the body never delude the sober ones.
(14)
It is only sense perception, o son of Kuntî, like
summer and winter, happiness and pain given, appear and
disappear; none of them are permanent, just try to
tolerate it, o descendant of the Bharata dynasty.
(15)
The person who is then never upset by all of this, o best
among men, and is equal to and steady in distress and
happiness, is considered fit for liberation.
(16)
Never is there of falsehood [asat, the temporal
form] any durability nor can one expect of the
eternal [sat, the true, the soul] any cessation,
thus stress the seers who concluded to the study of both.
(17)
Know that that by which the whole body is pervaded is
imperishable and that no one is able to destroy it.
(18)
All these material bodies are perishable while of the
embodied soul it is said that it is never destroyed and
immeasurable, therefore fight o descendant of Bharata.
(19)
Anyone who supposes that this [soul] is the
killer and also anyone who thinks that it can be killed,
will of either of both positions never be in knowledge;
never does it kill or can it be killed. (20)
It is never born, nor does it ever die; never it came
into existence nor will it cease to be - it will not take
rebirth, it is unborn, eternal and permanent; it is the
oldest and is never killed when the body is killed.
(21)
One who knows that this [soul] is the
indestructible, always existing, which is unborn and
immutable - how can that person, o Pârtha, be the
cause of killing or be killed? (22)
Just like giving up worn out garments and accepting new
ones, does the embodied [soul] the same way give
up old bodies and verily accept different new ones.
(23)
Never can this soul be cut to pieces, be burnt by fire;
nor can it drown in water or wither in the wind.
(24)
This unbreakable soul that cannot be burned, dissolve in
water or dry up, is surely everlasting, all-pervading,
unchangeable, unmovable and primordial.
(25)
As one speaks like this of it as being invisible,
inconceivable and stable, you should know very well that
this soul never deserves lamentation. (26)
If, however, you think of it as always taking birth or
finding death, still, o mighty armed one, it never
deserves lamentation. (27)
Death is a certain fact for the one who is born and also
is birth certain for the ones who died; they are matters
unavoidable that therefore do not deserve your
lamentation. (28)
In the beginning all are unmanifest, they are manifest in
the middle, and in the end, o descendant of Bharata, they
are all gone, therefore why complain when it is all like
that? (29)
Some see it as amazing, some speak of it as amazing and
others surely come to know about it as being amazing,
while still others, even having heard about this soul,
certainly never come to understand it. (30)
This soul, the eternal owner of the body of everyone,
cannot be killed and therefore, o descendant of Bharata,
you should not grieve for any living being.
(31)
Also, indeed in considering your own duties you should
not hesitate to fight for the sake of the religion, as
for a ruler truly there is no better engagement than
that. (32)
O son of Prithâ, happy are the rulers who do
achieve to the war that came on its own accord, as to
them the gates of heaven are opened wide.
(33)
Therefore you should do this fighting as a religious duty
- not acting according your own nature, you will lose
your reputation and fall in sin. (34)
About your infamy people will always be speaking as for a
respectable man infamy is worse than death.
(35)
Ceasing out of fear leaving the battlefield, the great
generals who are also holding you in great estimation,
will consider you as someone lower in value.
(36)
Many of your enemies will speak unkind words of you
deriding your ability. What of course, is there more
painful than that? (37)
Either, being killed, you will attain the heavenly
kingdom, or, conquering, you will enjoy the world;
therefore get up, o son of Kuntî, and fight with
the certainty of determination. (38)
Equanimous in happiness and distress, gain and loss,
victory and defeat; thereafter engaging for the sake of
fighting, this way you will never incur any
sin.
Spoken
by Anand Aadhar Prabhu
to the text offered below